Portable broiler



June 10, 1952 H; FOLEY I 2,600,234

' PORTABLE BROILER Filed June 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 10, 1952 H. w. FOLEY PORTABLE BROILER Filed June 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 10, 1952 H. w. FOLEY 2,600,234

PORTABLE BROILER Filed June 8, 1946 4 Sheeds-Sheet a June 10, 1952 I H. w. FOLEY 2,600,234

PORTABLE BROILER Filed June 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 10, 1952 TENT OFFICE -1'Claim. ;1 This invention relatesito. a=1food broiler. .More particularly it .has reference. to..a portable; broiler forsoutdoor use, and-wherein foodpmay-be broiled wvhile disposed on a horizontal .grill or-on spits rotating before avertical fuel. bed; theapparatus including. a table for .warmingwthe; C(JOked-flfQQd. -Portable .broilers :heretofore available have :been no more or. less than simple gratesimounted on a wheeled frame. "Hostessesiaregfindin that open-air entertaining including: .so-ca'11ed-- bar cued preparation of meat and fowl tmeets 1 with heartierresponse "from; guestsihammore: formal parties. much? in vogue ;in,,years -gone by. ,zACGQrdingly, many types of equipment ;for ppe n fire cooking. or barbecues have i been offered on; the 'market; but .all suifer ;from -lack',of; flexibility.

';It,=-wil1 .be recognized-,that certain-flat :cuts ;of meat-+for. example. steaks-:chopsand pork ribs. are .bestprepared by depositing them-; on ahorizzonta'lly disposed; grill. placed over.v a deed of'live icoals. or;charcoa1. ,0th,er comestibles,;=e, -g.;,;whole .orzpieces; ofxfowl, .or 1oins,:are :best; prepared, by .impalementon; a :spit, and the slow rotation of ;the; spit;in front of a verticallyd-isposed fuel; bed order togsubjectl the; meat-J-to a-- slower rate of :cooking. Moreover, it is decidedly-advantageous to provide in connection with;;azportablebroiler a .warming table for maintai-nin the heat.in-the cooked food until -served,.;or for-warmingrthe plates.

, Insofarias the broiling of whole fow1.or;of large .cuts .ofgmea t, e. g., loins ofbeefor pork,is,con- ,cerned, it is-highly desirable-to acceleratethe rate-of cooking at-first in order tosear the meat and retain the juices therein, ,.and. then .to decelerate the cooking rate.,.while ithe insideipor tions of the meat. are properly. cooked, andwithout; overdoing. the surface layer. .Thus -it is "advantageous to provideabroiler, having means. .fOr readily bringing the: meat closer ,to ,or; farther away from the fire, and temporarily maintainvaloleiin; the 1 selected position without requiring the constant attention of the chef.

'Another desirablefeature'for an outdoor broiling apparatus. consistsyin providing simpleand reliable .means' for rotating the-spits, suchmeans being of. a kind requiring little or. noilubrication to .eliminate the possibility of .contarnin ation ,of jthefoodby. the 1ubricant,..and simple enough-,so

that repairs may be madeby-a. householder. hav- 50 .ing-only basic tools.

.-,Wi th .the foregoing inview a;principal object .of-"my, invention; is the provision of a 'portable broiling apparatus including a horizontakgrill -anda hopper for holdinga fuelbed therebeneath,

-.-to ether..wit ;a er icm hamben-anQsnde rovidin a medica :fi 51 -i t e e ng a; pit- ;holdinglframeheiore e ver ca b daA furtheriobiect i qzp vid pp r, a gafor said of.;tapered -forrn,;,the area of ,smaller l fess section --bei lowes a d t lower zon bein .adant dt o ta nt fire the ein ..a;ner b- ;rat --s ti ve theim l r e -f uppernerth mro uc b in bro e Thu amax mum 10 ;oql;;i1 1g temperature prevails in the centraLpart ;of-; t he grill directly over; the fire,,.and the temperatul'e; decreases gradually from the center .,-to the per iphery of the-gri1l.

-Another1object is to providea loroiler. havinga ,.vertical v fuel -,bed and spite-holding. frame front-ref .thesame, the fram abe ll adjustable .with; respect to the fuel bedto position the -food -beingcookedclose to .or awayfrom thefire.

A further object is to provide an adjustable spit-supporting rack as aforesaid hingedly ,con-

-nected ,to theframework ,of theappaliatus and including. members to; adjustably secure the hinged side .of the rack to the framework inany --of a. plurality of selected positions. to ,varythe. po-

sition of the comestibles with-respectto theffuel bed during ,broiling thereof.

still another objectis toiprovidean adjustab e sp trsupporting rac a afwesfidharine r ,tatable spits and means for rotating the: same,

the rotating meansibeingearri d.onfirflXQ li .rack,, and vhencehmova l Withit t .v lurali ofadjustedpositions.

. .An additional. object i tO pro ide. anadtu .ble pi zsup or ns rac hin edl ,cqnnefid t .th f m wor o it e a aratu at i ide, and

7 having members co-operating with elements on Lin rameworkfort mmra fly e uri st emw i any of a plurality .of adjusted positionathese membersbeing utilizable as legs to support- -the rack in a; substantially --horizonta1- position-with the spitted meat out pfthe-cookingzone.

iAnother object is to provide-a--broilingappara-tus; having a; hopper to --containthefuel-bed -and- -a duct juxtaposedex teriorly cit-the hopper wa-ll, there=being-a food-warming table at the openend of the ductwhereby the heatedairrising in the duct maintainsia warm..condition. .of

:the table.

- 'Othen objectsu wilh appear ifrom: the-.zfollowing description.

f In the drawings; which showsa preferrediform -oimyinvention:

Fig. 1 .is. a perspective 1 view of lone r form .of

- broilerembodyingniyinvention;

;.'Fig-. is ;.a;- front elevational: riewthereoh 55 TFigifi is a. plan riewathere f;

Fig. 4 is a right-side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a left-side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 6 is a detail view taken on the line 6-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail in cross section taken on the line !1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail of a spit-receiving slot;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of an alternative form of spit and its driving sprocket;

Fig. 10 is a detail view taken on the line i0l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional detail of one form of spit-retaining latch; and

Fig. 12 is a detail view, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line i2l 2 of Fig. 11.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, the portable broiler there shown comprises a framework including top side bars ill and Ii joined by end bars i2 and I3, as by welding, to form a rectangular upper frame portion, the several members being preferably of angle iron with one leg vertical and the other leg disposed horizontally inwardly. At the welded junctions aforesaid are similarly attached the four vertical members l4- l4 and l5-|5, each continuing in legs l6-i6 and l'I--l'l, respectively, the legs [6-46 terminating in feet |8l8 adapted to rest on the ground. For transverse stiffening, the struts 2i2i and 2222 are provided, to which are attached the bolted gussets 23 in turn welded to the top of the legs llii6 and ll-ll. Thus the legs are detachable for ease in packing and shipment. At the lower end of the legs 11 there is fixed an axle 24 upon the ends of which the rubber-tired wheels 25-25 are arranged for rotation. The framework just described is thus easily moved from place to place by grasping the framework at the left-hand end in an obvious manner.

The space intermediate the struts 2i2l and 22--22 is occupied by a utility shelf 3i which is supported by the inwardly directed legs of the struts, the shelf being fixed or removable as desired, and adapted for holding knives, forks and other cooking implements.

For the broiling of comestibles such as hamburgers, steaks, chops and like items not ordinarily cooked en brochette, the fuel hopper 32 and grill 33 are provided. Hopper 32 comprises an inverted frusto-pyramidal structure of sheet steel joined at the corners in any convenient manner and terminating at the lower open end in a rectangular rim 34, the hopper structure being joined to the members I, ll, l3. and an intermediate T-strut 35. To permit draft to the fuel bed, holes 36 may be provided in the hopper walls. Grill 33 is of woven wire mesh, parallel iron rods set into a frame, or any equivalent open structure suitable for the purpose, the same being loosely set into the framework. Moreover, the grill 33 may be provided with a handl (not shown) for ready removal and the adding of fuel to the fire. For dumping the ashes, a leaf 38 (Fig. 2) hinged at 39 to the rim 34 is provided, the leaf being maintained in closed position by an L-shaped latch 4i inserted through apertures in the rim. Release of the leaf 38 may be rapidly effected by withdrawal of the latch 41, the weight of the leaf and the ashes then opening the leaf.

By the use of an inverted frusto-pyramidal hopper 32, it is possible to form a fuel bedhaving a substantially lesser area than the area of the grill 33. Accordingly, by placing thicker cuts of meat in the center of the grill, and the thinner cuts near the border thereof, regulated broil- 4 ing may be accomplished, the temperature at the grill diminishing from the central zone thereof toward the perimeter. It is to be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the configuration of the hopper to frusto-pyramidal since a frusto-conical form will serve equally well.

After broiling the cuts of meat, it is usually desirable to keep them warmed until serving time, or to keep the plates warm. Accordingly, I provide a fiat sheet steel warming tray 43 having an upturned rim and loosely supported on the members l0, H, l2, and 35, together with a roll cover 44 and hood 45 of conventional construction. The warming oven so comprised is rendered portable by means of handles 40 at each end thereof, only one of the latter being visible in Fig. 1. In order to direct heat most effectively to the table 43, a duct 45 is provided, the same comprising sheet metal, cut, bent and tapered as shown, the juxtaposed wall of the hopper 32 forming one wall of the duct and the two sides of the duct being bent outwardly as at 41-4l and attached to said wall. The upper end of the duct opens below the table 43 and is substantially co-extensive therewith. Thus heat transmitted through the adjacent wall of the hopper will raise the temperature of the air in the duct, which in turn rising, maintains the table 43 at food-warming temperature.

I may also provide a cutting table 5| of hardwood, hinged at 52-52 to the members l4l4 and equipped with foldable braces 5353 of a common type whereby the table 5| may be folded downwardly out of the Way.

One of the principal features of my invention resides in the vertical broiler and food-supporting means now to be described. It will be recognized that certain types of meat, e. g., chickens, whole loins, and the like, require slow cooking and hence some time while requiring little or no attention, provided of course that basting of the meat is not neglected. With these desiderata in view, I have provided, as part of my apparatus, a spit-supporting frame co-operatively associated with a vertical broiler, the direction and speed of rotation of the spits being such as to render the meat self-basting.

Thus I provide a vertically-disposed fuel chamber 55 including an imperforate side wall 58, imperforate end walls 57, a perforate bottom wall 58 to serve as a grate, and a grill 59 of parallelly spaced bars, within which chamber charcoal, coal briquettes, or similar fuel is received for burning, the effective face of the fuel bed being exposed by the grill 59. The chamber 55 is suitably attached by riveting or welding to the main framework of the apparatus as shown. Disposed in front of the grill 59 is the angularly adjustable frame 62 including the vertical or side members 63 and 64 hinged at -65 to the framework members I!) and II respectively. Hingedly connected at 66--66 to the members 63 and 64, respectively, is the three-part brace 68 including a transverse member 69 and lateral members H- H, the hinges at 66-66 together with member 63, and the hinges at 65-65 together with the framework members 10 and Ii, lending proper vertical rigidity to the members 63 and 64. From the preceding description, it will be apparent that frame 52 may be swung angularly with respect to the chamber 55, and that the brace 68 may be swung angularly with respect to the frame 62, and as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Where in this description and the claims I racemes;

use the word frame, I intend to. comprehend ithe'reby the members 63 and and the-transvezise stmit 69 eifective to spac'e the said 'members, i't bei'ng understood that I may, if desired, 'co11- ts'titute T the ispit-holding "frarheBZ of a pair -of iVerticaIly-L'diSpQSed membersi'such as E3 and 64, rig'idlyispaced apartbyparallel transverse memhers secured thereto. In the la'tter event the braces II may be independently hingedlyattached to the lower louter-lic'orners of the frame, a'nd either the .upper ends of ithe members 63 and 64 or'the transverse strutijoining sai'diupper onds may be hinged to the main framework of 'the apparatus, the object inithe llnstant respe'ct -being the :provision of a rigid spit-supporting frame adapted for angular adjustment with respect to the vertical fuel bed.

A plurality of meat-holding spits I5 and 76 are provided, each including shaft portions 11 and 18 respectively, and parallelly positioned sharp-pointed skewer portions 8!. Shafts I1 and 18 are likewise sharpened to permit meat cuts to be impaled thereon. In order to accommodate different sizes of cuts, the portions 8| of one spit, e. g., I5, are spaced are spaced farther away from the shaft TI than the corresponding elements of the spit I6. Shafts TI and 78 are secured to sprockets 83 and 84, the latter being of larger pitch diameter for a purpose to appear. Located above the spits i5 and 76 is the drive shaft 85 rotatable in apertures in the members 63 and 64, and coupled to a gear-reduction electric motor 86 of a Well-known type, the motor carrying a cooling fan 8! at the outboard end thereof. Motor 86 is attached to a shelf 88 secured to member 64. A sprocket 89 affixed to the forward end of the shaft 85 drives a chain 9! in mesh with the sprockets 83 and 84, the latter being larger as mentioned to afford substantial arcs of contact of the chain 9| with the periphery thereof.

Spits I5 and I6 are removably supported in the frame 62 by engagement in inclined notches 93 (Fig. 8). Thus it is a simple matter to remove a spit from the frame for charging or (118- charging the meat, the sprockets 83 and 8 being easily disengageable and re-engageable with the chain 9|. Spits I5 and I6 being independently driven, the spit I5 may be omitted without disturbing the drive of the other spit. To insure maintenance of the shafts TI and I8 in their associated notches 93, I prefer to provide latches (Figs. 6 and 7) comprising a flat plate 94 pivoted at 95 to the member 63, and having a semicircular notch 96 partially embracing shaft I! or 18, the latch being releasable and lockable by means of a sliding pin 91 engageable in an aperture at in the member 63. To release a spit, the pin 91 is withdrawn and plate 94 swung outwardly to free the spit for removal as aforesaid.

I have found that for best results, the drive shaft 85 should be rotated clockwise, as viewed from the front of the apparatus, at approximately two revolutions per minute, such d rection of rotation resulting in a self-basting action. That is to say, by rotating the cooked zone of a cut away from the fire, the juices thus forced to the surface at the place of highest temperature will trickle back over the zone then approaching the fire to produce an ideal basting cond1t1on.

In order to position the meat at the optimum spacing from the fuel bed in the chamber 51, the frame 62 may be adjustably secured in a plurality of angular positionsby engaging any corresponding pair of a plurality of notches IOI An aperture I25 receives the :in the rn'enibe'rs n with the p'osts VJI ti s'ecured "swung its maximum distance angularly an'clithe brace as employed as legs as clearly depictedby dotted lines in i ig. l. ln that manner the heat of the. fire is of no discomfort to the cook.

Moreover, the adjustability of' the :ifra'me 62 allowsblearance for the-broiling of largerfcuts of :meat .-while permitting -sma"ller cuts :to be broughtcloser to the fire.

--An:alternate form of spit and sprocket-iconnection is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which the sprocket I03 corresponds to either of the sprockets 83 and 84 of the embodiment above described. A hub I04 is rotatable in an aperture I05 in the member 63 and the sprocket, after assembly, is axially retained by a ring I06 secured by a peened-over portion of the hub I I34. The spit shaft III fits within an aperture H2 in the sprocket I03, and intermating keyway H3 and pin II4 provide a driving connection between the sprocket and shaft. With this form of the spit mechanism it is unnecessary to disturb the sprocket with respect to its chain when removing a spit, the shaft I II being axially slidable out of driving engagement and similarly re-engageable.

In Figs. 11 and 12 is shown a modified locking pin for the latch plate 94. In this case the pin IZI is provided with an integral horseshoe washer I22 engaged over an annular groove I23 therein, the washer retaining a compression spring 124. washer and spring. Thus the pin I 2| is secure against loss and is self-engageable after restoration of a plate 94 to locking position.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I there fore contemplate by the appended claim to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A broiler comprising in combination a walled heating chamber including at least one vertically disposed perforate wall, a pair of spaced apart bars of substantially equal length hingedly connected at their upper ends to the upper part of said chamber and adjacent said perforate wall, said bars being of a length substantially equal to the height of the perforate wall, a food carrying member mounted on said bars, a horizontal strut connected to the lower ends of said bars and forming with said bars a frame structure adapted for movement as a unit to varying positions of adjustment with relation to said perforate wall, a combined brace and leg member hingedly connected to the free end of said frame structure and of a length substantially equal to the length of said bars, and cooperating holding means on the chamber and on the combined brace and leg member for adjustably holding the frame structure and its food carrying member within cooking range of said heating chamber, said combined brace and leg member when released from its holding relation with said heating chamber swinging about its hinged connection and positionable as a supporting leg for the food carrying frame structure when said frame structure is angularly disposed substantially at a right angle to the perforate wall of said heating chamher and in warming or non-cooking position with respect to said perforate wall.

HERBERT W. FOLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 8 Name Date Schey Jan. 16, 1923 Morris Sept. 22, 1925 Renfroe Nov. 2, 1926 Humphrey Feb. 19, 1929 Miller July 2, 1929 Polhemus Apr. 12, 1932 Stolzenburg et a1. Jan. 3, 1933 Bitney June 28, 1938 Bonaguidi Sept. 13, 1938 Huntington Apr. 11, 1939 Pearson et a1. July 4, 1939 Duke Apr. 22, 1941 Cramer Nov. 13, 1945 Larson Sept. 13, 1949 

